


Across the Sea

by DsGt06



Series: Rise and Fall [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Alpha/Beta, Alternate Universe - Future, BAMF Stiles, Bloodplay, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Derek is Not a Failwolf, Derek is a Good Alpha, Eternal Sterek, F/M, Flirty Sterek, Hale Family Feels, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Pack Feels, Pack Run, Top Derek Hale, Top Derek Hale/Bottom Stiles Stilinski, sterek, stiles uses magic and it's great
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-16 00:07:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5805607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DsGt06/pseuds/DsGt06
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“This is more like the X-Mansion than I remember it, you guys. It’s amazing!” Stiles tells them all, a hint of awe in his voice.<br/>“You should see your room,” Cora says with a smirk.<br/>Stiles doesn’t think anything of her words himself, but he does notice that Derek’s ears become tinted pink in response to them.<br/>Cora slaps the alpha on his back. “Why don’t you go show him, Derek?”</p>
<p>OR</p>
<p> the one where Stiles has been studying abroad in Japan and comes back home to move in with his pack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. We Can Cast Our Sails and Grab the Oars

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fic. EVER. I am SO thankful for my amazeballs angel-baby Halcyon1993 for going over this with a fine tooth comb and helping me out with it. It's pretty cool to have your favorite fic author give you advice and have thim read it first. GO READ HIS FIC, There's Magic Between You and I, NOW!!! IT IS LIFE.

\- Sunday June 6th, 2018 -

Home. That’s the first thought in Stiles’ mind when he pulls up to the rebuilt Hale house and comes to a stop beside an unfamiliar garage. It’s been close to five years since he’s actually lived in Beacon Hills, and a lot has changed. _This is new,_ he thinks about the garage. _And so is that big-ass iron gate._ The bars of it circle the building, which in itself is more like a manor than an actual house. He was there for the demolition and through most of the rebuilding, when he wasn’t away in New York for school, that is.

Most of the others were away, too. After graduation, they went off to their respective schools and universities while the ones who stayed behind — Erica, Cora, Isaac, Scott, and Boyd — helped Derek restore his family’s home to its former glory.

_Who knew? The alpha werewolf with the leather fetish, the resident hottie, also has an interest in building thi-_ Nope! _You promised not to think like this. You fucking promised yourself…_ At least that’s what Stiles tries to remind himself of while he strolls up to the front porch, looking around at the newest additions to the house all the while.

Chris Argent had a secret past in construction — when he wasn’t off being an asshole hunter, of course — so he helped with a lot of it, and Derek graduated from a university in New York with a degree in Architecture. The two of them and the betas apparently had a little too much fun during the construction because the house ended up being massive. Every time Stiles came back, he would find that another room had been added, or the garage had been extended to make room for a new addition to the pack.

The Hale Pack is easily one of the largest along the West Coast. Its growth was a glorious sight to behold. Stiles feels a little teary-eyed for Derek whenever he thinks about it, knowing that their benevolent alpha, who has endured more chaos and destruction throughout his short life than anyone else he’s known, really deserves it. So much changed following their High School graduation: Erica and Boyd came back and asked to rejoin Derek’s pack; Isaac and Cora returned from their trips around South America and Europe; and Peter went to the Canadian wilderness and found peace with his inner wolf.

On his travels, Peter met a pregnant human named Nadia, whose husband was killed in the Middle Eastern war, and he traveled with her for a few months before finally revealing his identity as a werewolf when they were attacked by a grizzly bear. Nadia was severely injured and begged Peter to change her, so Derek flew out to meet them with the rest of his betas when he felt Peter’s desperation and fear through their pack bond. Once he realized that Peter really had changed, Derek gave Nadia the bite. She and her unborn child were saved, and the three of them traveled back to Beacon Hills with the pack. Once little Petra was born, Peter and Nadia declared that they were mates, and the man had never before looked so happy.

After the defeat of the Alpha pack, Ethan and Aiden decided to stay in town. They swore fealty to Derek and became his betas in exchange for their lives. It wasn’t hard for Derek to allow them into his pack; he had nearly succumbed to Deucalion himself and knew it was fear that drove the twins, not belief. One day, while they were on a date, Danny was shot by a rogue hunter who was aiming for Ethan. Ethan tore the hunter apart and, by the time Derek felt the beta’s despair and rage through their pack bond and had gotten there, Danny was dying. He offered Danny the bite, and the Hawaiian lived through the change.

Aiden met a werecoyote while he was out patrolling one night, and after several months she begged Derek to take her in. She had lived in the wilderness for as long as she could remember and she desired a pack. Aiden was absolutely smitten with this wild woman, and Malia was just as smitten with the idea of using Aiden as her ‘forever chew toy’, as she put it. Their dynamic is something else, Stiles thinks.

Scott graduated with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Science. His ability to leech pain definitely helped him score extra points during his training, and now he and Allison have taken over Deaton’s clinic. Allison also successfully manages one of the most lavish training academies in Northern California. Everyone in the Beacon Hills Sheriff’s Department is required to take her firearms and hand-to-hand combat courses twice a year. Ironically, even though she’s human, she’s more of a monster than any of her pack. She and Scott have had a couple of rough patches over the years, but they are star-crossed and all that jazz. He finally bowed his neck to Derek once Allison informed him that she wanted to have a strong pack to help raise their babies one day.

It was such a clever play that Stiles felt whiplashed for several months. Who knew it just took feminine wiles to convince his best friend to join Derek’s pack? After high school, some people really do grow up.

Lydia actually managed to get a Fields Metal in half the time it normally takes. She and Jackson, who is surprisingly not as much of an asshole anymore, went to school close together, and he graduated with a degree in Political Science while she is still in school. If you ask Stiles, the title of her degree will be ‘Youngest Mathematics Genius with the Best Hair in Three Centuries’. She has decided to finish the program from home. Her need for pack wouldn’t allow her to stray far for much longer anyway. She has successfully mastered all aspects of her banshee abilities, and with all of her power unlocked, her desire for the love and connection of a pack now rivals an alpha’s.

Kira went back home to Japan for three years, where she honed her kitsune abilities and learned the ways of war from a clan of Japanese samurai. She moved back to Beacon Hills eventually and immediately asked for a place in Derek’s pack. He accepted her with open arms. The small threats that came intermittently through Beacon Hills proved that the pack needed training in different areas of combat, especially after they lost three of their betas to a poison-spitting group of demons, so Allison and Kira got together and created the perfect training program for the betas. She began helping Allison with the training academy shortly after joining the pack.

Stiles himself relocated to New York once he found out from Deaton that he comes from a long line of powerful witches. He needed space, and Derek supported Stiles’ decision, even going so far as to give him his and Laura’s old apartment in the heart of the city. Derek had continued paying for it after her death, not wanting to let that piece of his sister go. How close Derek and Stiles became after that came as a shock to everyone, what with how many walls the alpha used to slam the boy into, but they somehow became tolerant of each other rather quickly after Stiles discovered his abilities and basically decimated the alpha pack, saving Cora from their evil. Stiles was afraid of the raw power inside of himself which he couldn’t yet control, and Derek fully understood the boy’s need to get away for as long as he needed. Stiles took over the rent for the apartment once he got a steady job, and while he was working, he met another witch who introduced him to natural forms of magic using herbs, oils, stones, and the elements. He quickly found a way to continue enhancing his craft and education at the same time by studying Natural Medicine at New York University.

He quickly excelled in his self-control, his magic, and ultimately, all areas of his life. He returned to Beacon Hills every chance he got to visit his dad and the rest of the pack and was shocked about how quickly he searched out Derek after arriving every time.

He was in constant contact with the alpha. They Skyped nearly every day, and Derek requested Stiles’ assistance on pack matters when he wasn’t there in person. Stiles was an amazing tactician and Derek respected his opinion more than anyone else’s. It came as no surprise to anyone when Derek extended Stiles an offer to be the pack’s emissary once he graduated and moved back home, a position second only to the alpha’s mate. An emissary is a connection to the spirit world, and is also the main pack member that an alpha can depend on to provide counsel in times of distress. An emissary’s magic is strong and will grow even stronger with a stable pack, just like an alpha’s own. Derek trusted Stiles with that power.

Stiles accepted the offer immediately, realizing how much everyone in the pack had matured in recent years, especially his alpha. Stiles watched Derek blossom into an amazing leader during his time away, and he quickly became enamored with the man. Stiles kept him updated on all of his comings and goings in New York and Japan after he accepted the position. They shared everything: successes, failures…even their favorite weekly television shows, which they would sometimes watch together via Skype. As his return to Beacon Hills got closer, they both grew restless. Even though Stiles had been sporadically appearing back in Beacon Hills to help with the rebuild of the Hale House, this time would be different; now he would be coming home for good.

Stiles tried to go on dates, he really did, but no one could measure up to Derek. Though he knew that nothing could possibly come from his one-sided feelings, he just felt so guilty letting anyone else close to him in such a way when his heart wasn’t in it. It was unfair to the other person, and he felt like he was doing something wrong. Derek never gave him the impression that they shared anything more than friendship, never hinted that they were possibly connecting on a deeper level. His burgeoning feelings could have easily been caused by the bond between emissary and alpha, Stiles was never really sure. He promised himself that he would only look at Derek as his alpha and nothing more. Derek had worked so hard to get their pack to where it was today, and he knew that his own stupid emotions would only get in the way of that. That was his train of thought almost every day for the past five years.

_I will not fuck this up. I will not fuck this up._

Once his feet touched the soil of his hometown, he felt a sharp tug towards his pack. He could put a picture of each of its member’s faces, locate them on a map, right down to their house numbers. He hadn’t felt power like this before, this quiet call to come home. The call that came the loudest was warm like a summer night. It sang like blackbirds, and it smelled of earth, of rich soil, sweet meadows, campfires, and it sounded like thunder. It made Stiles’ stomach flip in anticipation.

He finds himself slightly nervous when he reaches the beautifully sculpted, stained glass front door and raises a fist to knock…until, that is, someone opens the door before his knuckles can actually make contact.

_Fucking werewolves,_ he thinks with a hint of frustration.

Derek Hale stands on the other side of the threshold in overalls, the straps of which are tied around his waist, and he wipes sweat away from his forehead with the hem of his tank top.

_Lucky ass tank top,_ Stiles thinks as he stares at his alpha.

“Forget you had a key, Stiles?” Derek asks with a cheeky grin.

Keys are the furthest thing from Stiles’ mind, too distracted is he by Derek's relaxed appearance in his too-tight tank top, by his perfectly sculpted shoulders, and the stubble that would make even a nun question her beliefs. _He’s grinning. Fucking grinning, the smug bitch. I can’t even think straight right now, and he’s grinning._ “I…lost it. Yeah. Sorry about that.”

Stiles is pretty damn sure Derek caught that lie. If he hadn’t, then the bright red flush currently creeping up his neck and across his cheeks definitely gives him something else to worry about. _I’ve been in Beacon Hills for a total of six hours, and at the Hale Manor for less than five minutes, and Derek’s perfect face is already messing up my foolproof ‘Don’t Look at the Alpha with Fucking Heart Eyes’ plan._ Before Derek can give him all kinds of hell for ‘losing his key’, a mane of curly blonde hair flies between them, causing Stiles’ heart to swell for a second time in less than a minute.

“Batman!” Erica shrieks at the same time Stiles screams, “Catwoman!” The two-person puppy hug in the threshold seems to draw even more attention, and before Stiles knows what’s happening, Cora is squeezing her way past Derek to get in on the love. They’re all so excited to see each other that they miss the way Derek looks at them with a small smile on his face. The content, joyous scent wafting off of them is obviously contagious.

“When did you get into town?!” Cora asks cheerfully, her smile a welcome sight over her normally broody demeanor.

The four of them walk further into the manor and find their way to the living room, where Isaac and Boyd are watching the latest DC movie. Stiles has always been a Marvel man and, obviously, he’ll need to show the two betas the error of their ways. When Stiles, their alpha and their two mates enter the room, the two men look up and smile as Stiles says just that. It no doubt feels good to have their annoying, traveling pack member back and in the safety of their home, even if they don’t know of his new status.

Isaac and Boyd get up and lightly hug Stiles, not so subtly scent-marking him in the same way Cora and Erica had. Stiles notices that the only pack member who hasn’t touched him in any way since his return is Derek. It shouldn’t bother him, but it does. He’ll no doubt have to report to the alpha at some point later on, when the welcoming committee has calmed down and left him to his own devices. He knows the only reason Isaac and Boyd have scented him is because he’s been gone for close to 8 solid months, and the times he was around before then were only for school breaks while the manor was being built.

“This is more like the X-Mansion than I remember it, you guys. It’s amazing!” Stiles tells them all, a hint of awe in his voice.

“You should see your room,” Cora says with a smirk.

Stiles doesn’t think anything of her words himself, but he does notice that Derek’s ears become tinted pink in response to them.

Cora slaps the alpha on his back. “Why don’t you go show him, Derek?”

Derek looks like he’s just wishing for the floor to swallow him whole, causing everyone to snicker. He snaps Erica’s finger when she pokes his shoulder in amusement. “Fine. C’mon, Stiles, let me show you to your room. Shouldn’t the rest of you be outside training with Allison and Kira?” he asks smugly, hoping to get rid of them all so they don’t bother him any more.

They all groan but listen to their alpha, mumbling under their breaths as they trudge towards the back of the house.

Stiles watches them until they disappear from sight.

Derek is quiet as he takes the younger man up the two flights of stairs to his room, but it isn’t awkward. It feels comfortable, and as Derek points to everyone else’s rooms on the way, Stiles tries to remember them all from his past visits. While Derek’s room is on the third floor, across from the library, Stiles’ is on the second, and when they reach it, Derek looks shy, almost unsure of himself. As he pushes the door open, he watches Stiles’ face carefully. “I’m glad you’re home,” he says, his lips curving up in a small smile when he scents the surprised excitement and unbridled happiness that begins rolling off of his companion in waves.


	2. Shake My Bones, Awaken Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles gets a better look around the property and helps Derek out with a small problem. PACK DINNER... and an unexpected move on Stiles' part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to my awesome bud Halcyon93 for another mess of a chapter getting the A-team treatment... Hope you guys enjoy!!!

\- Sunday June 6th, 2018 -

Stiles isn’t prepared for the sight of his new bedroom. He has no words to describe how beautiful it is. The walls are coloured a dark cherry, wood-paneled, and they mirror the shiny hardwood floors and meet a tall, vaulted ceiling. On the wall opposite his bedroom door, there are floor-to-ceiling bookshelves made of the same cherry wood, which contain what must be hundreds of books. Upon closer inspection, to his surprise he finds that they are all books on plants.

Said bookshelves are separated by wide French doors that open up to a balcony, which in turn overlooks a herb garden. Stiles remembers mentioning something like that to Derek in passing over Skype while he was still in Japan, to aid in his emissary duties. That Derek had paid attention to his ramblings is one thing, but for the older man to actually plan an area on the property devoted exclusively to him is another altogether. The thought does funny little things to his insides, and they make it extremely difficult for him not to just wrap his alpha up in a bear hug. Once he turns back to Derek, still grinning like a buffoon, he feels a warm thrum along his pack bond, coming from the man himself.

“Do you like it?” Derek asks shyly.

Still afraid to really say anything lest his mouth betray him, Stiles just nods and proceeds to inspect the homier touches of his bedroom more closely. There is a queen-sized bed, outfitted in beautiful red silk sheets, backed against the left wall. Next to the bed are two small night stands, the one on the left with a large potted plant sitting on top of it, some sort of small Japanese tree with white flowers blooming from different places. On the opposite wall, there is a heavy wooden writing desk and a tall work area built into the wall, which Stiles thinks will be a great place for spell work.

Derek clears his throat when he realizes that Stiles has turned his attention back to the tree with childlike curiosity. “It’s a Japanese gardenia. I know you said you weren’t having any nightmares last time you were in town, but I was worried being back for good might change that,” he offers up as he touches one of the white petals. “After the fire, Laura would have really awful nightmares. Once we moved to New York and made a few connections, she spoke with a witch who gave her something just like this. It was supposed to keep her from having bad dreams, ward them away, I guess. It worked for her, and I just…thought you could use it, too.”

“It does have magical properties,” Stiles concedes as he holds his palm over the white blossom Derek has just touched and feels a pleasant hum. “It’s beautiful, Derek. Thank you. I didn’t get any plants past customs on my way back in, so this is great. I hope I don’t need it to keep my sleep safe, though.” He says this with a little laugh, and his face bleeds red when he really thinks about how much Derek has already done for him, is still doing for him.

The warm, happy feelings must not go unnoticed, because Derek just grins, steps towards him and touches his neck. The man rubs a thumb right over his pulse point, while his other fingers wrap around the back of his neck, and Stiles is pretty sure he just stopped breathing.

Derek’s touch is almost ghostlike, but the effect it has on him is instantaneous.

He leans further into Derek’s space and wraps his arms around him, tucking his head right under the man’s chin. Derek is still sweaty from whatever he was working on before answering the door, but Stiles doesn’t mind. He feels another thrum in his pack bonds, this one warm and exclusively between them, and he knows that they both feel it. It isn’t necessarily an emotion, more like a color, if emotions had colors. It’s like a sunset.

“I missed you,” he whispers into Derek’s neck. He’s not sure if the hug is alright, if Derek is alright with this invasion of his personal space, and he isn’t given the chance to find out because someone clears their throat from the doorway behind them.

“I see Japan didn’t help your sense of style,” Lydia says with a smirk.

Releasing Derek, Stiles jumps across the bed and practically smothers the banshee with a similar embrace. “I should’ve known you’d be the one who’d diss my new plaid shirt. It’s all the rage in Tokyo, y’know. Supposedly, it’s making a comeback,” he says into her hair.

“I’ve missed you, Stiles,” is all the red head says back.

Stiles pulls away and gives Lydia a solid once-over. ”I love what you’ve done with your hair, cut short and shit. It’s very banshee-chic.”

“And you’re still an idiot,” the girl offers. She looks between Derek and Stiles with a faint grin on her peach-colored lips. “Something’s different. I can feel it. You’re not just a regular pack member anymore, are you?”

Stiles just grins back at her.

Derek decides to explain before it can get back to the others ahead of schedule. “No, he isn’t. He’s our emissary now. I offered him the position before he got back since Deaton’s retired and moved on. Even though he wasn’t the official Hale emissary, Deaton still helped us out enough for me to realize we needed one. Stiles was the perfect fit,” he supplies with a smile. “I was actually about to talk to him about announcing it tonight when everyone else gets home, after dinner.”

Lydia gives them both a knowing look, one that makes Stiles blush, and then adds, “Well, I heard all of the buzz around the house and had to come see for myself. I’ll let you two get back to…whatever it is you were doing.”

Stiles’ face heats up even more and he tries to defend himself, even though he isn’t sure what it is he’s defending, but Lydia interrupts him.

Sternly, she says, “Save it. You two have been dancing around each other ever since you left, and if I have to endure more pining, from either of you, I’m going to scream, and no one wants that.” There’s a hint of finality in her tone, and she gives them one last evil grin before exiting the room.

Stiles and Derek are left alone in an awkward silence.

Thankfully, Derek breaks it a second later, telling Stiles that he wants to show him something. Stiles clears his throat and agrees because he isn’t sure he could bring himself to talk about what Lydia just said, at least not aloud. His mind is filled with a million and one thoughts as he follows the alpha out of his room, down the stairs and out the back door. _What?! Derek’s been pining?_ Derek _has been_ pining?! _The scruffy, ripped, leather-clad leader of my pack has been… I’ve thought of the word ‘pining’ too many times for it to be normal. What the fuck is that about? What the fuck is my life right now?_ He’s almost vibrating with excitement from the new information Lydia practically threw in his face, and when Derek suddenly turns to look at him as they walk across the backyard, he almost doesn’t notice.

They’re approaching a beautiful, white stone building near the entrance to the preserve when the older man speaks up. “You’re glowing,” Derek points out.

Stiles is too focused on his internal freak-out to realize that his magic has bled to the surface and is causing little round orbs to bounce around on his exposed, tattooed arms. He reels it back in and gives a flustered apology as they close the distance between them and the mysterious building. “What is this?” he asks, even though he knows exactly what it is.

The mausoleum is large, with thick round beams adorning the entrance and a large golden triskele embellishing the outside of the white door, matching the colour of the handles. Along the sides of the structure are small holes in the ground, and the one nearest the front has a long garden shovel sticking out of it.

“I’ve been trying to get these seeds to root, but they just won’t take. It’s what I was working on when I heard you pull up,” Derek informs Stiles when he catches the younger man staring at the holes in confusion.

“What are you trying to grow?” Stiles asks as he looks up at Derek and thinks of how sweaty the older man was when he answered the door.

“They were my mom’s favorite when I was little. She called them ‘trumpet vines’. They have yellow, red, and orange blooms during the spring and summer. Mom had them planted around the back porch when the house was built, and they came back every year. Hummingbirds would swarm the place,” he explains with a fond smile and a far-off look in his eyes. “She would make it a game to see which of us could figure out how many times their hearts would beat a minute. I always won. She loved hummingbirds, said they were magical. You kind of remind me of them. You don’t even have to speak to be heard.”

Stiles is pretty sure his heart sounds like a hummingbird’s right then, especially with Derek’s attention placed solely on him. He stares openly right back at the man, fascinated. He remembers a time when Derek couldn’t talk about his family without his claws and fangs coming out, wanting to rip and tear and gnash at everyone. Hell, he remembers when Derek couldn’t even talk to him at all without reacting violently. This newer, sentimental Derek has his chest tightening, and as he looks at the alpha and sees the reminiscent smile on his lips, he has an idea.

“I can help them grow if you want. You’ve done so much for me, it’s the least I can do.” Derek looks up at him with such sincere hope and wonder that Stiles almost melts to the ground.

“Can you really?” the alpha asks breathlessly.

Stiles scoffs and pushes his sleeves up with determination. He squats down and digs the pads of his fingers into the rich soil Derek has already prepared, and the skin that isn’t covered by his clothes begins to glow, as do his eyes, beta gold. At the same time, green vines erupt all around the mausoleum, and orange flowers pop out as the vines grow up the sides of the building. They meet atop the tall roof and wrap their way around the columns that line the front. There’s a sweet floral scent in the air as Stiles stands back up, quickly reining his magic back in and dusting his hands off on his black skinny jeans. He gives a surprised-looking Derek a shit-eating grin. “Told you so.”

Derek walks around the newly decorated memorial, inspecting the greenery while Stiles waits.

When he comes back into view, Stiles’ heart swells. Derek stands there, looking up and scenting the air like he can’t get enough of it, his eyes glassy. Stiles knows better than to speak and interrupt whatever memory the alpha is reliving, but he feels pretty fucking good about helping him when it was literally no trouble at all.

“Thank you,” is all Derek can manage to say.

Stiles accepts it gladly.

Derek asks him if he would like to see the inside, and he nods readily. He feels like this is an important step for them. It’s as if Derek is opening up and showing him a piece of himself that’s been buried for a long time.

Stepping into the building is a little strange. Stiles is so used to them almost living in a horror movie that he’s relieved when he doesn't find cobwebs and old Shakespearean skulls adorning the altars in the center. It’s breathtaking, to say the least. Each Hale whose life was cut short by that hateful fire so many years ago has a plaque, on which their names and birthdates are written, along with the family symbol just beneath. It’s obvious that great care has been put into every detail.

Stiles asks about each one, genuinely interested, and Derek eagerly offers insight into the lives of people that Stiles now wishes he’d had the chance to know. He notices how sentimental Derek is when divulging small details about his family, and when he asks about the wall of empty plaques that is just opposite, Derek explains that if anyone from the present Hale pack wants to be laid to rest there, they will always have a place. Stiles is moved by his words. The thought of moving on from a place that was buried in fear and ashes would terrify a lot of people, but to him, it brings a sense of peace.

That he could be considered family by such a noble pack is heartwarming to both men.

After they leave the mausoleum, Derek and Stiles catch up while strolling around the property together, and when there isn’t anything else to catch up on, they find their way back to the house. When they arrive, the older man tells Stiles to go unpack and get ready for dinner since they’ve spent the entirety of the afternoon together, a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed by either of them.

“I need to unpack my jeep first,” Stiles remembers, turning back to the front door.

“That’s been taken care of already,” Derek grins. When Stiles goes to ask him how, he just snorts and says, “I’m the alpha.”

Derek’s eyes bleed red, and Stiles is pretty sure he spotted hint of fang in the man’s smirk. He can’t help but shudder at the display of power, small though it may be. He silently admits that he’s always found Derek’s confidence alluring. _Since when have red eyes made me all tingly, though? Probably because Derek’s eyes are red sometimes. Duh. I wonder if he has alpha eyes in bed. I wonder what that would feel like? A super powerful alpha all up in my personal space… Well, that just got weird,_ Stiles thinks as he feels his blood rushing south.

Derek cocks his head and smirks when he smells Stiles’ body’s reaction.

“I’m gonna go unpack now,” Stiles stammers as he runs from the ground floor up to his room.

* * *

After Stiles has successfully unpacked a whopping total of nine boxes containing all of his earthly possessions and hung up all of his amazingly stylish clothes, he decides to explore the bathroom that he hadn’t even realized was there.

The checkerboard floor has heated tiles, and a black, Japanese-themed room divider hides a large garden tub slash shower. _Hmm. I have my own bathroom. This could be fun,_ he thinks, grinning, completely unabashed as he imagines Derek’s naked body submerged in bubbles. The thought sends him into a fit of giggles as he continues his inspection. There’s quite a bit of storage space between the toilet and sink, and a small fireplace stands out across from the tub, next to a red stained glass window. He makes a mental note to ask Lydia why there is a fireplace in his bathroom, not wanting to upset any of the house’s other residents by bringing up painful memories.

He turns on the shower, undresses, steps into the warm stream, and thinks about everything that has happened since he arrived as he washes his toned, tattooed body. The one thing that he knows for certain as he goes over the day’s events is that Derek has feelings for him. The looks Derek hadn’t thought he’d seen, the too-long linger of his fingers, the carefree way he gave him all of his attention, and all of the personal things he had told him. Stiles realizes for the first time since he left Beacon hills that this is not a crush. This is not some silly infatuation. This was something so much more.

He’s head-over-heels in love with Derek Hale.

_Well that snuck up on me._ If anyone is listening, the only thing they would hear is a single, “Fuck.”

* * *

Danny, Ethan and Malia prepare dinner that night. Malia had caught two small pigs while she was patrolling, and Danny uses his grandparents’ cookbooks to prepare them Hawaiian style, hole-in-the-ground, covered-in-coals style. Ethan works on the side dishes and vegetables. It’s a beautiful night, so they all decide that dinner will be served outside. While Stiles was unpacking, the betas must have moved the yard furniture around. There are five wooden tables lined up together, with long benches placed on either side, and it all smells absolutely divine. Danny had seen Stiles’ display of natural magic through the window earlier and asks the other boy if he can produce any plant like that. Stiles asks what he wants and, with a bit of concentration, conjures several different piles of fruits with which to adorn the table.

His dad stands by and watches, mesmerized by the little orbs that bounce around on Stiles’ skin when his magic is active. He’s always amazed by what his son can do.

Everyone laughs and catches up while they wait for dinner to finish. They reminisce about the time when their parents had all been kept in the dark, and how now they are practically honorary members of the pack. If a new threat ever appears, they will be protected fiercely. They respect the ways of the pack and know that their grown children are safer together than apart.

When dinner is finally served, Derek stands up and everyone respectfully listens to everything he has to say. The reveal of Stiles’ new role in the pack is met with cheerful praise. Lydia of course has to rub it in everyone’s faces that she figured it out earlier and keeps grinning at Stiles all night. Every time she does, she nods towards the head of the table and Stiles’ honey eyes automatically meet the green-gold of his alpha’s. Every time.

Stiles is so blissed out that he doesn’t realize he is enveloping the table in magical, little fireflies.

The girls all coo and refer to them as fairies, while the guys at the table just use the extra light to dig into more food. Stiles is initially embarrassed by his obvious lack of control under Derek’s gaze, but once he realizes that the alpha is enjoying it, he can’t care less. He finds himself feeling brave, and everyone laughs as he sends a firefly Derek’s way. Derek catches it and watches as it glows in the palm of his hand. Stiles has never seen the man look so young, and, from his position right in the heart of his pack’s territory, feeling everyone’s joy through his bonds to them, he feels power like he never has before.

He’s never felt more love in one place than he does right then, and he knows that if anything shows up to go bump in the night, he will die defending the ones he loves.

* * *

As the night goes on and the moon climbs higher in the sky, the betas start getting restless. Petra climbs down from her mother’s lap and asks Stiles to make more fairies for her to chase, and after a seeking permission from Peter and Nadia, he decides it’s time to have a little fun. He takes off his overshirt and feels his body come alive as he throws his arms wide and more little orange orbs fly out of him. He watches fondly as the small child giggles and chases the orbs around in her beta form.

The rest of the pack soon follow.

The humans of the group kiss their partners as Derek announces that he thinks it’s time for a pack run. They’ll stay behind and clean up. It isn’t always like that, but they know the moon is full and the wolves will feel boundless energy if they don’t get it out of their systems now.

When Stiles is removing his shoes, Derek approaches barefoot and shirtless, a small smile on his lips. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asks playfully.

Stiles just smiles back. “I can’t let you have all the fun, now, can I?” Derek’s eyes stay locked to him as he crosses the yard towards the preserve, where the rest of the betas are already running free, his eyes blazing gold. He feels the power of the earth and his pack deep in his bones and uses it to his advantage, sucking it up from the grass beneath his feet. He moves with unnatural speed up to Derek, and the look on the man’s face is priceless. He can’t help but kiss Derek quickly on his stubbled cheek before prancing back towards the trees with a new bounce in his step. He calls back to a blushing Derek. “Catch me if you can!”

At these five words, Derek rumbles happily and lets the change take over, eyes bleeding red, claws sliding out, and teeth elongating. Something on a primal level has just been awoken, and with a contented howl, the chase begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stop what you're doing and go listen to anything by The Sweeplings, their albums are practically what fueled everything to do with this fic. Hope you guys loved this chapter, let me know. :) Kudos and Comments are love!!! I'm trying to get them out at least by every weekend!


	3. I've Been Treading Water and Have Poured Out My Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PACK RUNNNNNNNN... and maybe a kiss or two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... the rating is changing in this chapter, to explicit. hehe.  
> I forgot to say something about this series, or maybe I didn't, oh well. It's inspired by The Sweeplings. Each chapter title is a lyric from one of their songs... GO NOW...

\- Monday, June 7th, 2018 -

When Stiles makes it past the iron gates surrounding the Hale property and into the mouth of the preserve, it seems as if the forest is coming alive to welcome him. The only thing he hears as he runs swiftly through the trees is a loud howl, letting him know that Derek is in hot pursuit. Once he makes it deeper into the preserve, he begins to notice how tree limbs bow out of his way as he sprints along, and every piece of greenery he touches seems to bloom from his magic, his way of thanking the forest for helping him tonight.

He experiments as he runs and realizes quickly that if he allows his magic to spread through every inch of his body instead of just in the soles of his feet, then he can almost glide between the trees, leaving a small trail of orange orbs that dissipate after a couple of seconds. He kicks off of a stump and into the middle of his frolicking pack. When they see his glowing body in the center, they keep running with a giddy energy. Their alpha quickly advances and happily takes the lead while they run through the heart of the preserve. The only sounds in the night are gleeful yips and howls.

After running together for what seems like hours, the pack break apart into smaller groups. Peter, Nadia and Petra find a small trail to explore together, while Aiden, Ethan, Malia, Jackson and Danny stop to play in a small stream they pass. Erica, Cora, Boyd, Scott and Isaac run farther to the north to patrol together before circling back to the stream to surprise their packmates. Kira climbs a tall tree to watch over their activities with fondness.

This leaves Stiles and Derek alone again.

Derek makes a great show of chasing Stiles through the preserve, and Stiles laughs as Derek attempts to catch him before gliding away from the forest floor like a woodland sprite. He again kicks off of a tree…and Derek has a hold of him before he can get anywhere. He squeaks in surprise at how fast his alpha truly is, realizing that Derek hadn’t been trying hard to get him at all before then.

“Gotcha!” Derek says triumphantly as he repositions Stiles so that they’re chest to chest. “You keep surprising me.”

“What can I say?” Stiles offers with a blush as he looks at Derek’s face. He watches as the older man’s beta form recedes, leaving behind his handsome human features. “I used to be so weak and could never catch up with you guys. It was my turn to play.”

“You were always in the thick of things and did just fine most of the time,” Derek refutes with a low chuckle.

There’s look of such affection on Derek’s face that Stiles just has to flirt a little. “So, now that you have me, what do you plan on doing with me?” he asks with a coy smile. He can’t help but stare at Derek’s beautiful face, at how content the alpha seems with his pack all together in the preserve, alive and well, their joyful whoops echoing in the distance. Stiles’ heart almost beats out of his chest when Derek locks eyes with him.

Derek doesn’t need an invitation for what he is about to do.

Stiles allows the alpha take control and feels his cheeks heat up when Derek gently tips his face up into the light of the moon with a finger under his chin.

When Derek gets his fill of staring down at Stiles’ pale features, he leans down and gently places a kiss against his neck, below his ear, where his scent is strongest. He rubs his face into the pale throat that Stiles presents to him so willingly, causing the younger man to moan. Stiles’ magic is reacting to the attention, his skin lighting up wherever Derek touches him, and Derek revels in its beauty. After scenting Stiles the way he has always wanted, he whispers, “You’re mine.”

Stiles’ heart almost beats out of his chest when he realizes what Derek has just said, but Derek connects their lips before he can think of anything to say back. His magic takes on a life of its own when he tastes the older man. Their bodies light up with orange light and their hair stands on end as they kiss, and Stiles is pretty sure it’s the most intense kiss of his life as memories flash behind his eyelids like an old movie. Failures, triumphs, adventures. The time he held Derek up in the pool; when Derek saved him from a djinn; when there was a horde of pixies and they knew they may not make it out alive; when he graduated and Derek was there in the stands with the rest of the pack. Years of arguing and becoming friends. Maybe becoming something more. Derek tastes like hope, like something wild and untamed, like home.

When the kiss finally reaches its end, they stare into each other’s eyes in the dying light of Stiles’ magic. They are both flushed and breathless. Derek holds Stiles’ cheeks in his palms and runs a thumb across the younger man’s swollen lips. “You’re so beautiful, Stiles.”

Stiles blushes even harder with the compliment and leans back in to capture Derek’s lips again. He lets Derek keep control, and when he feels the older man’s fingers trace across the dimples of his lower back, he gasps, giving Derek the opportunity to deepen the kiss even further.

Derek rumbles deep in his chest, a low sound, when their tongues slide together.

Stiles wants to touch Derek everywhere to see what other noises he can get his alpha to make. His hands move of their own accord, up Derek’s chest to wrap around his neck, and when Derek picks him up, he wraps his skinny legs easily around the alpha’s waist.

After Derek backs them up against a tree, Stiles groans when he feels Derek’s hips roll against his own. He pulls his lips away and moans as Derek kisses down the pale expanse of his throat and bites down on his shoulder, almost coming in his pants, and he begs Derek to bite him harder.

Derek pulls away and looks down at Stiles with red eyes, his breathing ragged and his voice sounding animalistic. “You can’t say that right now, Stiles. I’m barely holding on. You smell like me, like mine,” he growls. 

Stiles smiles and runs a hand back down Derek’s chest to skim over an exposed nipple, causing the alpha to rumble deeply and drop them to the ground. Once Derek is settled between his legs, Stiles continues to beg. “Please mark me, make me yours. I want to feel you on my skin for days. I want everyone to know just who I belong to.”

Derek can’t repress his wolf any longer, especially when Stiles is appealing to his baser instincts like that. He uses his claws to rip Stiles’ shirt open and his pants from his body as the younger man continues to moan out his need. Derek shifts back but his eyes remain red and his fangs remain somewhat elongated. “I need to taste you. I need to scent you. You need to smell more like me, like us…”

Stiles pulls Derek’s face down against his throat and thrusts his hips up, their hardened cocks rubbing together and making their skin light up again as they both groan. Derek rubs his hands and face against Stiles’ throat and sucks marks into its pale flesh. He praises Stiles for being made just for him, for smelling like home, tasting like his. He continues down to the younger man’s chest, tasting the sweet flesh and paying close attention to his nipples.

“Derek, please!” Stiles doesn’t even know what he’s begging for, but he trusts Derek to provide it.

Derek continues rubbing his face into Stiles’ stomach and nuzzles around to his hips, nosing across the waistband of his red boxer-briefs. He runs his tongue along the line of hair that leads below, savoring the taste of him, and then nuzzles at the top Stiles’ briefs. When Stiles grinds up against his face, Derek grabs the boy’s hips and holds him down while rolling and rubbing his face over Stiles’ crotch. “Your scent is so strong here… I want it all over me,” he growls against the fabric. He grinds his face along the hardened shaft and noses down past Stiles’ balls, into the stretch of fabric that hides Stiles’ hole, where he instinctively knows no one has been before, causing the boy to mewl. He can’t seem to help himself as he rubs his face against Stiles’ ass and taint, keeping strong hands on the boy to hold him in place.

Stiles has tried to keep his cool, he really has, but now that Derek’s head is between his thighs and he’s covered in marks and love bites, knowing that he reeks of Derek’s scent, he quickly loses it. His toes curl against the warm earth, his fingers scratching against Derek’s scalp as he feels that familiar burn deep in his gut.

“Derek, please, I’m about to-”

Derek cuts Stiles off by sliding his hand up the boy’s chest and placing two fingers into his mouth.

Stiles laps at Derek’s fingers and tastes something both sweet and salty. When he realizes that Derek is letting him suck his pre-come off of his fingers, he spares a glance down to Derek’s jeans and sees a dark spot where the man’s engorged cock is leaking generously through the thick material. Derek grinds his bearded face hard, one last time, against Stiles’ groin, and Stiles whimpers as he comes in his briefs. He can’t control what happens next as his magic whips up around them, showering them in little golden orbs.

He can hardly breathe when Derek moves up his body again, kisses him senseless, and grinds against his soiled briefs. He just wraps his arms around the alpha’s shoulders and asks him to come on his stomach.

Derek unbuttons his pants with supernatural swiftness and allows Stiles to pull them down his thighs. He quickly repositions himself and jerks off to completion on Stiles’ torso.

Stiles watches with rapt amazement as Derek’s gorgeous cock erupts across his body, showering him with come. Some of it lands on of his left pec, beneath which his heart beats furiously. He’s still coming down from his own orgasm when Derek collapses on top of him. The older man smells amazing, and the bond between them quietens to a low, harmonic hum.

When Derek finally comes back to himself, he notices that Stiles is staring at him, mouth slightly open. “This isn’t exactly how I planned on this night going,” he says bashfully.

“That was amazing, better than I ever dream-” Stiles starts.

“You’ve thought about this before?” Derek interrupts, amazed. “I mean, ever since you left, something didn’t sit well with my wolf. As soon as your scent went away, it went fucking crazy. Do you remember that beanie you left here the summer after graduation?”

“Yeah, it was my favorite; I wore it for like, every occasion that year,” Stiles supplies with a laugh, remembering all the memories that stupid hat holds for him. “I specifically remember Erica and Lydia stealing it and hiding it from me the night after we killed that vampire, the one that tried to kidnap Scott’s mom. I don’t remember why they did that, though.”

“They knew you’d grown on me, and Erica kept telling me that you got it because it was my favorite color. I never believed her, but after you left it was all that I had left that had your scent on it. I jerked off with that fucking hat like, thirty-seven times,” Derek admits, looking slightly ashamed of himself. “It’s not as creepy as it sounds, I swear. I was jerking off one night and leaned over for a rag, and someone had put your hat next to my bed. It smelled delicious and the next thing I knew, it became a thing.”

“That is probably the hottest fucking thing I have _ever_ heard,” Stiles breathes, dazed. It takes a second for his brain to function again. “Wanna see something?”

Derek barely has time to answer before Stiles stands up and bares his perfectly sculpted ass to him. His jaw drops when he sees the bright red triskele tattoo on Stiles’ right ass cheek. It sits just below where the waistband of his jeans would normally rest, so no one would ever know it was there. He leans in and presses his lips to it.

“I got it right after I left, while I was drunk one night. I was missing everyone like crazy and someone dared me to get a tattoo of something that reminded me of someone I lov-…uh, liked,” Stiles corrects quickly. “This was the only thing I could think of. You’re the only person, other than the girls, who’s seen it.”

“I love it, Stiles. If anyone was going to get a drunk tattoo of my family symbol, it would be you. It goes well with the others,” Derek says appreciatively as he looks over Stiles’ near-naked body. He grins evilly. “I want to trace them all with my tongue and explore where they lead, especially this one.” He kisses Stiles’ bare ass again, making the younger man shudder. “But I think we’ve done enough for tonight. The sun’s about to come up and we’re already going to be quite the conversation starter since you’re in your boxers. Sorry about that, by the way.” Despite the apology, his voice holds no remorse. He reaches over and grabs Stiles’ ripped tank top so that he can clean them both up a little.

He then stands, pulling Stiles’ boxers back up with him, and gives Stiles a solid once over before smiling proudly at the sight of the younger man’s chest covered in his marks. He leans in close and kisses Stiles deeply, savoring the very essence of the boy he’s just claimed as his.

Stiles is practically buzzing still with his post-coital high. Then, he doesn’t give much thought to the after-effects of the night’s events, but he knows that as soon as he’s alone, his insecurities will make up for lost time. He just hopes that this is the beginning of something long-term and not a one-time thing.

Derek smells the sourness of Stiles’ sadness and turns to him. “I know that this happened really quickly, but I couldn’t picture my life without you, Stiles, now that I have you in it again.” He leaves it at that and offers his hand. Stiles blushes and takes it, and they walk silently back towards the manor as the sun rises, listening to the forest finally going to sleep after a night of celebrating with the pack. All thoughts of insecurity and regret are wiped away by Derek’s touch.

Once they get closer to the property line, Derek runs ahead and gets his shirt while Stiles waits in the shade of the trees. When he returns, he offers the shirt to the young witch to hide the marks on his chest from curious stares. “You smell more like me, like us, but this will at least hide some of the physical evidence,” he says with a laugh.

“I love them on me, but while I may be a lot of things, a voyeur I am not,” Stiles responds, laughing as well. “So, I was wondering,” he goes on, “I know you have your own bedroom and all, but can you stay with me for a while? I think it’s the new connection. I mean, you guys crave touch around the full moon anyway, right?” He sounds nervous.

Derek grins. “Yeah, you could say that. Let me get some stuff cleared away and I’ll be right up.” He starts to walk away but turns around at the last second to kiss Stiles on the cheek and rub his hand across Stiles’ throat. He then smiles sheepishly and leaves Stiles alone in the back yard.

Stiles touches the cheek Derek just kissed and shakes his head, continuing on his path up to his room.

While walking through the house, there isn’t much of anything going on. Normally, after full moon runs, the pack is basically left on empty. When everyone wakes up, they have a huge meal and lounge around with each other, reveling in the feeling of being together in their ‘den’. Stiles’ mind won’t stop replaying the previous night’s events when he finally gets up to his room and into his new bed. He keeps Derek’s shirt on, enjoying having the smell and the memory of his alpha around him. He basically rolls around on his new sheets and ironically thinks that they’re as red as Derek’s eyes were earlier, when the older man was breathing him in.

_I still can’t believe that this is real, that Derek wants to be with me and that he’s going to spend my first night—well, day—in bed with me. He smells so fucking good! Oh my God… His body, his dick, so fucking big! He’s so goddamn perfect._

Stiles is still smiling and rolling around on the sheets, just getting a good feel for them, when Derek clears his throat from the doorway. The alpha wears a smile on his perfectly stubbled face and in one hand he holds a plate with several different types of fruit and cheese and cured meats on top of it, and in the other a large pitcher of orange juice. “I’m normally starving when I get ready for bed after a night out, so I hope you don’t mind.” He walks over and and places the plate and pitcher on the bedside table before turning around and sprinting out the door. He quickly returns with two empty glasses.

“Damn, I’ve always wanted breakfast in bed,” Stiles says through a smile as he watches Derek’s ears turn pink. He pats the spot next to him and grabs the plate as he changes his position to sit Indian style. Derek sits down next to him in sweatpants that hang right off of his hips. How Stiles didn’t notice this detail earlier, he doesn’t know, but he enjoys the view now as Derek stretches around to pour their drinks.

They eat slowly, savoring the small meal and pleasant conversation while brushing their hands and knees together as often as possible. They talk about the new pack connections, things Stiles wants to do around the property to ensure protection, and how he’s working on a way to immunize the wolves to aconite poisoning. They talk about anything and everything, getting closer all the while, until they’re a tangle of legs and arms under the red silk sheets. Derek asks him what he plans on doing now that he’s back, and Stiles explains the five year business plan that he worked on while he was away for school.

Derek has one arm wrapped around to pet Stiles’ hair, while the other rubs circles into the younger man’s back. Anyone would recognize the protectiveness Derek has in his glowing eyes as he looks down at Stiles’ sleepy face, an expression of pure adoration clear as day across his softly smiling features. He starts humming an old song and watches as Stiles falls asleep in his arms, curling even more into his embrace. He leans down and kisses Stiles on the forehead and closes his eyes, too, feeling like this is the first time his wolf has ever truly been sated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are love, I always try to comment back! Lemme know what ya thought!  
> I hope you enjoyed it!!! I've been adding a few sketches here and there on my tumblr that I've done for this fic... If ya wanna check it out, go see me hereeeee... https://www.tumblr.com/blog/levi4220


	4. All I Needed Was You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles works on his shop, saves a pack-mate, and explores his relationship with Derek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of this part of the series! I have rewritten this chapter three times, computer troubles are the bane of my fucking existence! I'm SOOOOO sorry for the wait! CHECK THE UPDATED TAGS!!! Hope you guys enjoy! XOXO

\- Tuesday, June 26th, 2018 -

It’s been two and a half weeks since the full moon. Two glorious weeks.

A lot has happened in that time. Stiles had told Derek his plan to open an apothecary in town to bring in some money, and to be a front for him to use his magic to help people. Derek was really impressed with his plan and gave him the go-ahead to use whichever betas he needed to get it started. That had been a cute little suggestion, since Derek had been by his side the entire time. They picked out a storefront with large windows and a spacious back area that’s separate from the sales floor. Derek wanted there to be a backdoor in case anything went wrong and they needed a quick escape. It was also in the heart of town, close to all of the other pack-owned businesses:

Danny and Ethan have a security business that manages electronic accounts for the county council, the sheriff’s department, the school system, and the local banks. They also take independent accounts such as homes and businesses like lawyer’s and doctor’s offices. They use it to keep an eye on any suspicious comings and goings in the local supernatural circuit. They had a small army of techies at their disposal, none of which were pack members since no one was really savvy enough to make the cut.

Hale Engines is three blocks away from Danny and Ethan’s. Derek opened it to keep himself busy after the house was rebuilt and took on Isaac, Boyd, Malia and Aiden as employees. They were all quick learners and seemed like naturals. Malia has taken a special interest in foreign models and specialises in them, while Aiden, Boyd and Isaac work on the rest of the cars, trucks and bikes. Derek had worked tirelessly upon opening to rally business, working on the county vehicles for a discounted price, and their owners were so pleased with the results that they now have an account with the business for all county vehicle services. The sheriff endorses them completely.

Jackson, being the smart-mouthed political genius he is, ran for city council with Lydia as his PR specialist. With her aid, he won a spot in the heart of all the comings and goings in town and they use it as a way of keeping things that need to stay buried, buried. He and Lydia work together with Peter to ensure the pack’s success. Derek entrusts Peter and Nadia with keeping up with the other supes in the area, much to everyone’s surprise. It really didn’t come as a shock to Stiles since it was his idea. Derek had told him that he didn’t enjoy pack politics, whereas Peter seemed to thrive in them, so Derek told Peter that he and Nadia could work on relationships with other packs.

With Scott working at the clinic, and Allison and Kira splitting their time between it and the training center, Cora and Erica were left to work with Stiles in the new business, Shadow Wolf Apothecary, much to the trio’s elation. They worked hastily once they got the all-clear on getting the shop set up. Derek helped everyday with painting the walls, re-flooring the front end, and ordering everything Stiles needed in-store before the grand opening. Stiles didn’t need to order any herbs and plants since he could use his magic to grow and gather them from the garden at home. Though they worked daily on the new shop, Stiles and Derek enjoyed spending every other waking minute with each other, reveling in the new ways by which they get to spend time. Chaste kisses given in passing could quickly evolve into a full-blown make-out session, with groping and heavy petting, much to Erica’s delight and Cora’s horror.

After the full moon, Stiles and Derek had been inseparable and fell victim to all of the knowing looks from the pack. Erica and Lydia had been the most vocal in their attempts to get details. Cora knew it would happen pretty soon after Stiles got back to town, she just didn’t realize it would happen the very first night. Everyone else just smiled and congratulated the new couple after they came down from Stiles’ bedroom together, holding hands and smiling, both of them reeking of the other’s scent.

Derek has opened up even more to Stiles since the night of the full moon, which surprised the younger man even more every time it happened. Their sexual relationship has been more than healthy. Stiles had revealed to Derek that he was still a virgin; Derek seemed to like this information for obvious reasons. Stiles expressed concern over moving too fast and Derek had been more than happy to go at Stiles’ pace. It was in those instances, where they were alone and in bed, that Stiles has gotten to know Derek as a gentle soul, enjoying the light touches and kisses as he almost worshiping his body, something which Stiles quickly found he enjoyed doing in return. They've spent almost all of the nights in Stiles’ bedroom instead of Derek’s. Derek said it was because the room never had any occupants and the only scent in it was their mingled one, which thrilled Stiles to his core. Stiles thinks the reason it’s been so easy for them to fall into a relationship like they have is because they’ve had almost ten years of build-up.

* * *

“What do you mean you haven’t had sex yet?!” Erica shrieks as she unloads a case of glass jars. “I thought you’d have climbed him like a fucking tree by now! Batman, I’m disappointed…” She feigns disappointment by pouting.

Stiles walks past her carrying a case of larger glass bottles and tugs on her wild mane of hair, which is falling out of her messy bun. He unloads the bottles with huff and wipes the beads of sweat from his brow. “Shut up, hateful. I wanted us to wait and get everything out just in case he changes his mind. I don’t think I could handle it if we had sex and then he’s all old-school Derek and decides to just ignore me until I go away,” he explains as Erica carries another few cases through from the back looking smug, probably because of her display of strength. “How are you not dying?!” he exclaims. “I thought they’d be back by now. I’m about to sweat to death.” He takes off his overshirt and wraps it around his waist.

“I run hotter than you, calm your tits, and stop trying to change the subject! Stiles, you didn’t see how he was while you were away. We all tried to get him to go on dates and he just told us that he wasn’t interested in anyone here. Lyds and Cora were the first ones to pick up on what was really going on,” she says with a grimace. “The way he’d come back all chipper and shit after your secret Skype dates, even though they weren’t really secret. He was totally smitten.”

“They weren’t dates. Anyways, that’s history. We’re actually in a relationship now,” Stiles says, staring off into the distance in that heart-eyed way he does whenever he’s thinking about his very own Derek Hale.

“Stop it. Your cutesy emotions are seeping into my bitchy exterior,” Erica scolds him with a smile.

They continue sweating and unpacking all of the supplies that had been delivered earlier in the day, all while Erica unashamedly talks about her and Boyd’s first time and then goes on about the mating bite they’d given each other. She shows it off proudly. Stiles confides in the blonde bombshell his fears about the bite, how he and Derek haven’t talked about it, and she quickly consoles him. “Dude, it’s been two weeks, you two haven’t had sex yet. Which, by the way, you’re dumb for doing. Don’t worry about it. It will happen eventually and you know it.” She jerks her head towards the front of the store and gives him a grin. “Your man is back. Thank god. I was starting to get a little warm myself.”

The bell over the front entrance rings, signalling Derek and Cora’s arrival, and then Derek is on him. His arms wrap around Stiles, nose pushing into his neck, his chest pressed securely against Stiles’ back. “You smell good,” Derek whispers into Stiles’ skin, the low timber of his voice causing the younger man to shiver against him.

“Really? I feel like I should reek. Please tell me you brought the part to fix this god forsaken AC,” Stiles laughs and pushes back against Derek’s chest. He stiffens (ha) when he feels Derek’s hard length pressing firmly against his backside. Derek rumbles delightedly behind him when he starts rocking back against him with little circular motions of his hips.

“I told you I would,” Derek whispers into Stiles’ ear. “You should really stop that before you start something we can’t finish here.” He grinds his hips forward against Stiles’ ass and nips at his neck, grinning when he gets Stiles to moan quietly.

“Ahem. Are you finished molesting my boss?” Cora chirps as she walks into the back room with a haughty-looking Erica, each of them holding two ice cream cones. “I’m starting to rethink my choice of treats for us.”

Stiles jerks out of Derek’s hold in embarrassment and snatches his triple chocolate marshmallow blizzard. “Thank ya, Cor, love of my life.” he continues cheerfully. This could turn out lovely, he thinks as he licks a long strip up the side of his ice cream cone. He grins when he sees Derek’s eyes bleed bright red in response.

“You guys should just fuck already,” Erica giggles and hands Derek his strawberry cone.

He takes it and then makes Stiles’ cheeks flush even more than the horrible heat had by using his tongue to catch the melting bits.

Cora finishes her cone first and then goes to fix the dead air conditioner. When it thrums back to life, Stiles praises her god-like abilities and goes back to work with the betas and their alpha, laughing and chatting away all the while.

* * *

It’s 8pm when they decide to stop for the night. With normal humans it would’ve taken three whole days to do what two betas, a witch and an alpha have done in an evening. The small group decides to pile all of the lingering trash by the dumpsters outside and then go back through and look at their progress. The shelves lined around the front of the store hold jars just waiting to be filled with products that Stiles has been crafting and developing since he left. Many of the recipes are close to a thousand years old, the ones he learned from forest spirits in Japan that were passed down to the witches of the age.

“I can’t wait to finally be open,” Stiles says smiling, running his fingers across the lids of several jars containing crushed, purple herbs.

“I can’t wait to test all the ones that smell good,” Erica smirks as she follows Stiles movements.

“The whole place reeks of your magic, Stiles. It smells good. Like nature. It reminds me of when Isaac and I were in the jungle in South America. It’s really earthy and rich,” Cora explains fondly.

“Are you going to explain to people how you got the recipes for the things you make?” Derek asks, and then continues. “I think that would be a good idea and it’d make it more personal for the buyers.”

“That is a good idea. I plan on making a lot of the products beforehand, but if they request something in particular then I want to make it while they wait and activate the magical properties to ensure it works. I’ll make it in the back so they can’t actually see my magic, but they will definitely know my products work. I’ll explain the function of everything I put into whatever they purchase,” Stiles explains while brandishing his arms excitedly. The look of complete adoration on Derek’s face doesn’t go unnoticed.

“You guys ready to go get some grub?” Erica pipes up, smiling shyly at Derek and Stiles’ joined hands. “As entertaining as it would be to stay here and let you guys drool all over each other, I’ve heard both of your stomachs growl in the past five minutes. Danny and Malia have both texted me, asking if we’re finished up here yet.”

“Isaac did, too. Let’s go. It’s taco night!” Cora says excitedly, leading the way outside. Derek turns off the lights and Stiles locks the door. They’re all in an excellent mood when they’re walking back to their separate cars, eager to rejoin the rest of their pack back at home.

* * *

\- Thursday, June 28th, 2018 -

“Oh my god! What did she get into?” Stiles is shouting over Malia’s terrified, painful screams while Aiden holds her down, his face ashen. Scott comes barreling into the room, shirtless. He keeps his hand as far away from his body as possible, which holds his balled-up shirt.

“Holy shit…” Stiles breathes as he unwraps the shirt, looking down at the lime green flower. “Aiden, keep holding her down,” he instructs sternly as the twin lays her as gently as possible on Stiles’ work bench. He looks at the girl whose flesh seems to be melting away from her hands and wrists, climbing up her arms. “Malia, sweetie, I know you’re in pain. I know this hurts, but you have to be really still for me. I’m going to fix it, I promise.” He goes around the table, pushing Scott out of the way with an apologetic smile. “Call Derek and tell him what’s going on. If I could feel that something was wrong then he must have, too.”

Scott nods and heads out of the room, reaching into his pockets as he goes.

Stiles climbs on top of the table and straddles Malia’s flailing body, his eyes and hands glowing as he summons his magic. He grabs her hands and the thrashing stops, but her body is stuck in a taut arch. He starts whispering in a foreign tongue while massaging the coyote’s hands. Aiden just looks on in numb silence as Stiles works. 

The flesh starts knitting itself back across the girl’s arms and hands while Stiles’ arms start to look red and irritated, smoking slightly as the glow of his magic recedes. When Stiles slumps sideways with his eyes rolled back in his head, Aiden catches him and holds him up straight.

“That was worse than I thought,” Stiles says after finally coming back to himself. He looks pale and a tad worse for wear.

“Is she alright?” Aiden asks, his voice shaky. He goes back to Malia’s side once he knows that Stiles can stand up on his own.

“She’ll be fine once she wakes up, which should be pretty soon,” he informs the depressed-looking twin. He knows that if Derek were the one passed out on the table, minutes after watching his flesh burn off, he wouldn’t be all unicorns and rainbows either.

“What the fuck is that?!” Aiden snarls at Stiles as the witch picks up the flower hidden in Scott’s folded shirt.

“This is a new breed of wolfsbane,” Stiles informs the beta while he studies the intricate petals in his hand. “Well, it’s not necessarily a new breed, it just happens to be new to this continent. The oldest strand documented to be exact. The original wolfsbane. This would’ve killed her in seconds had she ingested it. Her insides doing what you watched her arms do. Hell, this would’ve killed her by this time tomorrow just by touching it. Where is this even growing? Where was she?” Stiles inquires incredulously.

“We were burying the sacks you gave us where you told us to!” Aiden shouts angrily over the knocked-out girl.

Stiles takes a step back when there’s a roar from the door.

“Watch how you speak to him,” Derek snarls through bared fangs, eyes glowing dangerously.

Aiden cowers when Derek approaches the witch, placing a comforting hand at the base of his spine.

“I didn’t know Aiden, I swear. I’ll take care of it. This can’t happen again,” Stiles says softly, looking down at Malia’s sleeping face. “We got lucky this time.”

Malia starts to stir and Aiden scoops her up and is out the door before she can wake fully.

“Are you okay?” Derek asks gently, rubbing soothing circles into Stiles’ lower back. He tucks his face against the witch’s neck and takes deep breaths. “You smell like whatever you did hurt you.”

“I’m fine now. I had to absorb the poison and burn it out,” Stiles replies quietly, trying not to worry the alpha currently whining into his neck. “I don’t know how this got here. This hasn’t been seen in centuries. I’ve read about it in some of the books Deaton gave me, and Daiki’s grandmother told me stories about it when she taught me in the forest. I need to get all of it and destroy it. If the wrong people found this-“ Stiles chokes out, trying to subdue his panic.

“Calm down, baby. You’ve got to breathe with me. They got her to you in time and you fixed it. You are such a good mate, taking care of our pack like that. You smell so strong.” Derek’s eyes slowly turn red while he guides Stiles away from his panic attack, letting his wolf come out to comfort his mate, knowing just what to say to help him. He hears when Stiles’ heartbeat speeds up again, for a different reason this time. Stiles lets himself be held and leans into the chest of his alpha even more, not saying a word about Derek’s wolf calling him his mate. If Stiles had a wolf, he knows it would be rolling over to show Derek his belly, preening under the attention and affection.

* * *

“No one is to go back to where Malia was burying her sack today,” Derek commands the pack after dinner. “Stiles and Lydia are going tomorrow afternoon to destroy the wolfsbane.” He pauses. “As well as to bring some back here. Stiles has told you all what it can do and what kind it is. While there are no active hunters in the area, the mere idea of a hunter getting their hands on just one of these flowers pisses me the fuck off. With that said, Stiles and Lydia have done some research and they think they can make some type of vaccination from this strand since it is the oldest known type of wolfsbane.” At this, everyone starts talking at once and he directs their questions to Stiles and Lydia.

After Stiles explains how he believes he can alter the chemical composition of the flower, Lydia states that she will be formulating it into a vaccination for the wolves. They discuss it rather excitedly, asking everyone for their opinions and answering questions. Stiles leans back in his favorite chair and takes a gander around the room, at his pack. His gaze falls on Derek, his smiling features, how he’s cradling Petra to his chest securely. He starts to appreciate just how much Derek has changed from the angry, hollow, unsure young adult he was when they first met to the confident, respected, trusted alpha he is today.

Stiles feels a hot twist of desire as Derek catches him staring and grins shyly at him from across the room. He feels his cheeks heat up and looks away. He keeps thinking about how Derek called him his mate earlier when he was freaking out. Luckily, that got Stiles thinking about ways in which he could turn this bad mamma jamma around, now that he and Lydia will be working on a vaccine for it. He continues thinking about how Derek is perfect for him, and how he wants to give everything to Derek, his body first.

Tonight.

Stiles doesn’t realize how in his own head he’s gotten until Derek startles him by leaning over the back of his chair and nuzzling his neck from behind.

“You want to go to bed?” Derek asks delicately, somehow knowing just what Stiles has just been thinking about.

Stiles’ cheeks feel like they’re on fire when he looks at Derek and kisses him lightly on the lips. “Yeah. I do.”

* * *

When Derek kisses him, it’s like there’s a fire igniting in his soul. It’s somehow slow and fast, desperate and gentle all at once. Stiles pulls his shirt off first and then he slowly unbuttons his alpha’s. It’s hard to keep his eyes on Derek’s red ones as he marvels at the body before him. He can feel his heart beating almost too fast as Derek runs hands down his sides and against his back, pulling him closer to lay claim to his lips. He surrenders to the older man, letting Derek know that he’s giving everything to him in that kiss, giving him permission to take what has always been his, whether either of them knew it before or not.

Stiles isn’t sure how they wind up naked on the bed, Derek’s eyes still a deep ruby, his own the color of liquid amber. He does know that his body is covered in dark purple bruises, a symbol of Derek’s claiming. He rubs each one with a tenderness that has nothing to do with pain as Derek kisses over each of them again.

Derek settles himself between Stiles’ legs and looks up at the witch, a burning question clear in his eyes. Stiles just grins and runs his fingers through his hair. He takes that as a yes and continues nosing down Stiles’ body, making shivers run down Stiles’ spine. Derek leans over the witch and places kisses across both eyelids and breathes out, “Keep these closed.”

Stiles has never been one to give up control of anything. Ever. But this is Derek. He wants to do it for him, wants to give him everything he asks for, and probably will. He’s aware that some people may call that unhealthy, but fuck them.

He keeps his eyes closed and listens to Derek’s breathing, to the sweet things he’s saying, how each word is like a prayer to his body, and how Derek’s voice is like the voice of God to him. He feels Derek’s lips ghosting over parts of his body that he has never touched before. He feels the way Derek loves him in the way he presses his lips wherever they take him. He feels Derek’s shoulders lock under his thighs and runs his fingers through Derek’s hair, holding on for whatever the older man is about to do.

Stiles needs to hold on to Derek. Needs to stay grounded because the way Derek is massaging and touching and licking into his opening is making him feel way more exposed and cracked down to his core than he’s ever been before. He’s holding on when Derek’s fingers breach him. They take away every bad thing that has ever happened to him, take his heart and mold it into a shape that will fit inside the alpha’s, to keep it safe. He feels it when Derek takes his voice and replaces it with something he can’t even make out. It’s pleading, begging. Stiles isn’t sure because the only thing he’s seeing is black and white.

And red.

When Stiles opens his eyes, Derek is looking down at him, leaning down to nibble on his throat. When Stiles’ hearing finally comes back, though he wasn’t aware it had gone anywhere, he hears Derek praising him:

“Perfect. My mate, you were made for me. You feel like home. I want to claim you, I want to bite you. I want you to bite me, to let everyone know who I belong to. I want your mark to stay there, a declaration that we belong to each other. Such a good mate.”

Stiles can’t believe he hasn’t freaked out yet but everything about this feels right. He even feels like he should be pleading for Derek. “Please. Derek, please. I can’t wait to feel you inside of me, I need it. I need you in me. I want you to bite me. Please…”

Derek leans into Stiles’ space and kisses him deep, letting him taste himself on his tongue, before sitting back on his feet. He pushes Stiles’ legs back against his chest and starts rubbing his cock against Stiles’ hole, spreading his pre-cum around Stiles’ pink rim, lets his spit fall into Stiles’ opening. He looks down at the younger man as he finally slides in.

Stiles can’t breathe for a minute. It feels like too much, too big, too thick for his small opening. Derek’s draining his pain as he watches him struggle with his size at first, just enough to take the edge off.

“Breathe baby, I’ve got you. You’re doing so good. You’re perfect. You feel so good. You feel just right. I’m going to make you feel so fucking good. I’m gonna stay just like this until you tell me to move, baby. Don’t cover your mouth, I want to hear you,” the alpha whispers as he holds Stiles’ wrists by his sides.

Once Stiles’ breathing is back in his control, he can’t help but appreciate the fullness he feels with Derek fully seated inside of him. He feels whole, having Derek this close to him. He wants to feel this forever, like there’s a sun in his heart, one that shines just as bright as the moon in Derek’s. “Please move,” is all he can manage to say.

Derek starts rocking into Stiles slowly, dragging the head of his dick against Stiles’ prostate on every stroke. It should be impossible for Derek to be so perfectly attuned to Stiles’ every reaction, sigh, breath, gasp and wince. And yet it’s not. He already knows what drives the witch crazy and he does those things with a level of confidence that constantly brings Stiles to the edge and then pushes him away so as not to topple over without him. He leans down and kisses him and the friction of his furry abs against Stiles’ hard, leaking cock is almost too much for the younger man.

“I want you to bite me.” Stiles knows he’s driving the alpha crazy by whispering things in his ear, like he’s praying to his God, some holy being that only he knows, who has given him everything, more than he ever knew he needed.

Derek’s pace starts to increase and the sweat between them is adding more slide to Stiles’ leaking cock. When Derek’s fangs elongate and pierce Stiles’ neck, he comes with a moan, the pleasure spreading like the blood leaking from around Derek’s mouth. Stiles starts to feel hard again and when he feels Derek pounding relentlessly into his tight ass, he latches onto the space between Derek’s shoulder and the side of his neck and bites down hard. Derek’s blood fills his mouth and Stiles comes again.

Derek howls into Stiles neck as he grabs hold of him again with his fangs, releasing his seed deep into Stiles’ willing body. They lie there, licking each other’s wounds and kissing each other’s blood-stained lips, not caring about the coppery tang at all. They are bound now, by the exchanged blood flowing through their veins, by the mating magic joining with Stiles’ own magic, so thick it permeates the air they breathe, by the love that has brought them so far, which promises to carry them the rest of their way.

When the alpha and the witch finally fall asleep in each other’s arms, warm and safe, something ancient, dark and evil has been awakened across the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHATCHA THINK?! I could NOT have even done this without the help of my amazing friend [Halcyon1993](http://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyon1993/pseuds/halcyon1993) for helping me through this! Much love for him! Comments and Kudos are love! I'm on tumblr if you want to harass me there. :)  
> [Levi4220](http://levi4220.tumblr.com/) Thank you so much for keeping up with me on their journey, it doesn't stop here. I will be posting the first chapter of Part 2, in 2 weeks. XOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my first chapter, I'm sorry if it was kind of slow! I just wanted you guys to have an idea of what's been going on since our buddies from Beacon Hills have graduated!!!! If you enjoyed it, give me some kudos and a comment. Those are love I hear. I love giving them. lol. I promise i'll comment back. :) If you have any tips or want to see anything in the future, let me know.  
> XOXOXOXOXOXO


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